Jentezen Franklin and Abby Johnson Urge Christians to Speak Out Against Abortion During Celebration of Life Event at Free Chapel Church in Georgia

April 18, 2019

Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of the multi-campus Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Ga., addresses more than 4,000 people at the “Life Is Beautiful” conference on April 13, 209. | Facebook

Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of the multi-campus Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Georgia, urged more than 4,000 Christians to speak out against abortion at an event celebrating life with former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson from the hit movie ‘Unplanned’ Saturday.

“If America is going to be destroyed, it will be destroyed by the silence of the pulpits and the silence of the righteous minority called Christians who are failing to lift their voice and say with great passion ‘we are going to protect the life of the unborn,’” Franklin said in opening remarks at his ‘Life Is Beautiful’ conference.

He also recommended grace for people who have had abortions or were engaged in the abortion industry.

“With just as much passion and just as much fervency, we are going to extend grace and compassion to anyone who has experienced an abortion, been anyway involved in it, we’re not mad at you. Jesus loves you and we love you. And we’re here to walk through life. We’re all flawed people. We need God’s grace. We can make our nation greater. We can make our world a place that values life because life is beautiful,” Franklin said.

He also highlighted the recent legislation in New York permitting abortion up until the point of birth, as well as a similar proposal in Virginia and noted: “If they’re not ashamed to take that stand, then I am not ashamed to take the Word of God and say with all the love in my heart, that life matters to God and it matters to us.”

Franklin further urged the gathering, which included a number of national Christian leaders, public servants, and the church community to unite on the issue.

“We no longer have the luxury of disunity in the Body of Christ. The lines have been drawn. Stand up for life. And stand up for compassion and grace for those that have experienced abortion. We dare not be silent in such a time as this,” he said.